How much do custom window treatments actually cost in a New York City apartment?

It's the first question in almost every consultation — usually asked before we've even sat down. The honest answer: quality custom window treatments in New York City run $1,000 to $2,000 per window installed, all-in. A one-bedroom with five windows is typically a $5,000–$10,000 project. A full-floor penthouse with 20+ windows can reach $150,000. What drives that range isn't margin — it's fabric, motor technology, ceiling height, and complexity. Here's exactly how it breaks down.

Cost by product type (per window, installed)

These are real numbers from our recent NYC projects — not ranges pulled from the internet:

Custom drapery panels: $800–$3,500 per panel. Floor-to-ceiling in a prewar building with 11-foot ceilings sits toward the top of that range.

Motorized roller shades (Somfy): $650–$2,200 per window, including motor, fabric, hardware, and installation.

Roman shades (custom): $450–$1,400 per window. Simple flat folds cost less; relaxed or hobbled folds with interlining cost more.

Manual roller and solar shades: $280–$750 per window. The most affordable custom option without sacrificing quality.

Retractable screens (Phantom): $1,800–$4,500 per opening. Porch and terrace applications, installed in the frame.

A 'custom shade' from a big-box store and a custom shade from our Brooklyn workroom are not the same product. One is cut to size from a standard roll. The other is built to your exact opening, with your chosen fabric, the way you want it to operate.

— Glamour Decorating, from 30 years of NYC installs

What a typical NYC apartment project costs

Studio or 1-bedroom (4–6 windows): $3,500–$10,000

2–3 bedroom (8–12 windows): $10,000–$30,000

Large 3BR or 4BR (12–18 windows): $28,000–$60,000

Full-floor or penthouse (18+ windows): $55,000–$150,000+

These are whole-project numbers including fabric, fabrication, hardware, and professional installation. They do not include repairs to damaged walls or existing hardware — that's rare but worth knowing.

The five things that move the price

1. Fabric. There is a $40-per-yard linen and a $400-per-yard silk. Both are technically 'linen' and 'silk.' The difference is texture, weight, drape, light behavior, and how they age over ten years in a sun-facing Manhattan apartment. We carry both.

2. Motor brand. Somfy is the industry standard for motorized shades — motors engineered to last 20 years and integrate with any smart home system from Lutron to Apple HomeKit. Generic motors save $150–$250 upfront and typically need replacing within three to four years. We've replaced dozens of them.

3. Ceiling height. A 12-foot ceiling requires 30–40% more fabric than an 8-foot ceiling. In prewar buildings across the Upper West Side, Park Slope, and the Village, this adds up fast across a whole apartment.

4. Window complexity. Arched windows, bay windows, corner wraps, and large picture windows all require custom pattern-making and additional fabrication time. Straight rectangular windows are the most cost-efficient to dress.

5. Project scope. Whole-home projects allow us to buy fabric in larger quantities and pass some of that savings back. A single-room job priced per window is always going to cost more per unit than a full apartment.

The number one regret we hear from clients: going with a cheaper vendor first and calling us six months later to fix it. We've measured and re-measured apartments where the previous installation was just wrong — wrong height, wrong stack, wrong mechanism for the building's light exposure.

— Glamour Decorating, from 30 years of NYC installs

What you don't need to spend money on

Decorative hardware you can't see. If you have floor-to-ceiling drapery that pools on the ground, the rod is completely hidden. Spending $200 on an ornate finial is personal preference, not a quality signal.

The heaviest blackout available for every room. Blackout shades make sense in bedrooms — especially in east-facing apartments that get hit with direct sunrise. In a living room with a beautiful city view, a light-filtering fabric that softens the light without blocking the view is both cheaper and more livable.

Motors in every room on day one. We often recommend starting with motorized shades in the living room and primary bedroom — the two rooms where you'll use automation daily — and adding rooms over time. The Somfy system is expandable.